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Tuesday 31 December 2013

Happy New Year!!

Hello everyone!

Well it's that time of year again it's new years eve and it's that time of year where we all look back at what we have done and accomplished this past year and things we maybe didn't achieve. 

This last year has been a good one for us we fell pregnant with baby no2 and had a lovely family holiday just the 3 of us, a caravan and quality time. 

Most years I find myself here on New years eve deciding what my new year resolutions will be or what I'm going accomplish for the following year. However this year is slightly different yes I hope the next year if full of lots of success, happiness and love for all of us but I don't have any resolutions as there too easy to break! This year I'm going to promise myself to carry on being the best mummy I can to James and the New baby when he or she comes along, I'm going to promise to smile as often as I can and try not to worry to often about trivial things! 



So from me and James we wish you a happy New year and that 2014 if filled with everything you want :) xxx


Monday 30 December 2013

Christmas!!

Hello everyone,

I hope you all had a fab Christmas!! We had a lovely time and it was so lovely seeing James get so excited about father Christmas coming that it made it even more special. 

Christmas day was spent opening presents all morning then Christmas lunch at the in laws followed by more present opening then on to my parents for yet more present opening lol!! 

I currently have my husband home so we have been spending some good quality family time together and taking advantage of us all being together before baby number 2 arrives. So sorry if my blog appears to be a little quiet over the next week or 2 but I do have lots of New posts coming soon including reviews! 

What did you all get up to Christmas day? 

Below are a few pics of James Christmas day. 


xXx 

Wednesday 18 December 2013

Christmas makes!!

Hello everyone

Well nursery seems to well and truely hyped my little man up for Christmas! Every morning the first words uttered from him are "is today Christmas day" lol. He has been making lots of Christmassy things in nursery including some pretty cool Christmas tree decorations and a Christmas table decoration a handmade and glittered by him which makes them oh so precious!!




Here is the table decoration!!



And a selection of the tree decorations he has made!

Its so nice having handmade things on the tree knowing my little boy made them and he loves seeing the things he has mde on the tree.

Have your little ones made anything this christmas?

xXx

Saturday 14 December 2013

Reindeer biscuits!!

James loves to bake and what better excuse to bake than it almost being Christmas? I used to love baking with my nan and so it's always nice to share that passion now with my own kids. Plus, who doesn't love the smell of fresh baking through the house? Since its almost Christmas we decided we would have a go at making our own version of reindeer biscuits using a simple biscuit recipe and some pretzels, keep reading below for the recipe. 



They were simple to make and even more fun to decorate!

Ingredients - 

100g caster sugar
100g butter
1 egg
250g plain flour  
1tsp vanilla extract

+ these items for decoration-
small pretzels
smarties
chocolate sprinkles
icing sugar

Method - 

- Preheat your oven to 180 degree C and then line a baking tray with grease-proof paper.

- Cream together the butter and sugar (I find it easiest to use an electric whisk for this) Then add the egg and vanilla extract into the butter and sugar and mix well.

- Now gradually add your sieved flour into the mixture and mix well until it forms a dough. 

- Place your dough on to a well-floured surface and roll it out until it is just under 1cm thick. Now cut out your biscuit shapes, I used a round cutter to form the reindeer face, but you may wish to use a different shape.

- Place your cut out shapes onto your pre-prepared baking tray and prick them with a fork several times then place into the oven for around 12-15 minutes. After around 6 minutes in the oven remove the tray from the oven and place to pieces of broken pretzel in the top of the biscuit to form the antlers. Place back in the oven for the remaining time and until golden brown. 

- When cooked leave to cool on a wire rack and then add your decoration. We used red smarties for Rudolph's nose and royal icing and chocolate sprinkles for the other features. You can use whatever you like to decorate yours! 


We had lots of fun making these and I think they would make a fab treat for your little one to leave out for Father Christmas on Christmas eve!


I hope you are all having a lovely weekend! Are you doing anything Christmassy??
xXx

Wednesday 11 December 2013

I'm back and I have news!!!!


Hello everyone!!!

Im so sorry i have been away for the last month, I've been laptop less and my phone was rubbish to blog from!

However i am back now and i have some exciting news to share...... We are expecting a baby!!! I am due 10th June and we are super excited and James cannot wait to be a big brother. 
I plan on following the same theme of my blog but will also blog my way through this pregnancy and hopefully have a few baby/pregnancy related reviews to share with you all that may be of interest to you or someone you may know! 

Here is a sneaky peak at our 12 week scan photo, baby spent the entire time wriggling around and doing a headstand lol




Aside from our baby news things have been getting very christmassy around here with our house resembling some sort of santas grotto and James waking up each morning asking if its christmas day yet lol.

I hope you have all been well and thank you for sticking around whilst i wasnt here :)

Tuesday 29 October 2013

Imaginabox *REVIEW*

Hello everyone,
Recently we were very lucky to be sent an Imaginabox for review.
Imaginabox is a arts and craft box aimed at children ages 4- 8 years old that is sent out monthly. Imaginabox send a themed box full of instructions, templates and materials for at least 4 things to make with your kids (one of which will transform the box into something fab). On top of that Imaginabox include activity ideas for the things they’ve made to encourage imaginative play and learning about the world around them – you don’t want the kids making stuff just to sit around collecting dust after all.
As mentioned above each box has a different theme, We were sent the pirate themed box which was a big hit with pirate mad James!
The box arrived promptly and the packaging was great! The box came wrapped in brightly coloured spotty paper with a personalised sticker with James name on it which we thought was a great personal touch!

The box contains 4 crafty activities and each activity comes in a cute paper bag labelled with a number which corresponds to an activity within the booklet that is provided within the box which contains instructions on how to complete each activity. The box comes complete with everything you need to complete all of the activities and your first box comes with scissors, paintbrush and a glue stick!


The pirate box contained 4 main activites which were..
- Make your own tele-kaleidoscope and check out the pretty patterns whilst looking out for desert islands.
- Decorate and draw a treasure map then follow our clues to find Ol’ Seadog Bob’s treasure.
- Create a super pirates costume to act out your seven seas adventures.
- Make a treasure chest from your box to keep all of your precious things inside.
James had lots of fun sticking and gluing although we did find a few of the activities (particularly making the treasure chest out of the original box) as it required a lot of fiddly cutting and sticking. He particularly enjoyed making the map and drawing his own treasure map.

















We thought the Imaginabox was a fab idea! All of the items that James made in the box were used for varies different things during play time after finishing the box. We didn't need anything extra to complete the activities as everything we needed was included which was a big bonus!
Some of the activities are a little fiddly and I would say it is more of an activity for a parent and child to sit down and do together rather than something for the child to do on there own. The instructions were clear to read and easy to follow for an adult but may need a little explanation for the younger children.
The prices of the boxes are as listed below and all prices are inclusive of postage and packaging...



  • 1-month taster box – £19.95
  • 6-month subscription – £96.00 (£16 per month)
  • 12-month subscription – £180.00  (£15.00 per month)




  • Overall we loved the Imaginabox, We thought it was a fab idea to get creative with your little ones and the cost was quite reasonable for everything that is included within the box.
    xXx


    * I was not paid for this review. All opinions given are my own.. As a thank you for my review, I was allowed to keep the product.
    * If you would like me to review your product or service, please email me on xJessLegresleyx@hotmail.com.

    Sunday 27 October 2013

    We're back from our holiday!!

     
    Hello everyone,
     
    We are back from our holiday at Devon Cliffs and we had a fab time! There was so much to do that there wasn't a dull day despite the wintery weather!
     
    The swimming pool at Devon Cliffs if fab and use of it is included in your stay. The pool has 3 main water slides and then a smaller section with the water fountains and 2 smaller slides for toddlers. We obviously have a dare devil on our hands as at 4 he wanted to go on all the main slides lol!! I was a little hesitant but he enjoyed them all!!
     
    We also decided to try out some of the free activities on offer that are put on my the Haven and Devon Cliffs staff.
     
    First up we tried archery. They have 2 different age groups for this 3-5 and 5-8 and these are held at different times. 
    James was in the younger group and he really loved this activity! It lasted 30 minutes and started with a small demonstration of how to use the bows and where to shoot and then the kids were off. There is a large target area for them to shoot and the target is a picture of knights on horseback and dragons which they have try and hit.
     
    Here he is having a go....
     
     
     
    Next up we tried an activity called Walking with dinosaurs. It didn't really have any description in the leaflet as to what it was it just said to meet at the beach. Again this was a free activity put on by the Haven and Devon Cliffs staff and was open to all ages.
    We headed down to the beach intrigued to find out what it was all about.
    Walking with dinosaurs turned out to be an educational talk about the Jurassic coast and the man who did the activity spoke about the changing coast and about fossils and where dinosaurs came from. It doesn't sound very child friendly but it really was aimed at the children and every effort was made to include them and it was spoke about in a way the children could understand and join in answering questions.
    After the talk the children were put into groups and armed with spades, buckets and rakes (provided by the staff) they constructed there own sand dinosaurs!
    Here is James enjoying the beach in his wellies and some of the Jurassic coast that was spoke about during the activity....
     
     
     
    James also enjoyed lots of other free activities including little cubs arts and crafts club, Rory the tiger workout session, Petting session with some small animals (the goat was James favourite!), parachute games and lots more!
     
    The evening entertainment was also great! There was plenty of staff who really got into dancing with the kids and nothing seemed to be to much trouble for them! There seemed to be a variety of activities in the evening including a tots disco and them a themed story performed by the Haven character's! The drinks are also very reasonably priced! James loved dancing around and taking part in all the actions and was always straight to sleep when we got back to the caravan!!
     
     
    Overall the holiday was great! The caravan was spacious, clean and well maintained and only a short distance (easily walking distance) from all the amenities. The swimming pool is well kept and clean and has plenty to entertain kids and adults of all ages. The site offers tons of free activities for kids of all ages that run through out the day everyday!
    The staff are fab and really go out of there way to ensure that you enjoy your holiday which we thoroughly did!
     
    We would really recommend checking out Haven if your looking for a family holiday packed full of fun!! They have lots of Haven sites dotted all across the country! We visited the Devon Cliffs site this time and it was great!
    Why not check out more Haven holidays here ... www.haven.com 
     
    xXx
     

    Saturday 19 October 2013

    Lunch ideas

     
    Hello Everyone,
     
    I don't know what it is about the winter but it makes me want to get my cook books out and start baking and cooking up new things.
     
    This week I am going to get my cook books out and start looking for new recipes to try for lunch time. I often find I cheat at lunch time and just revert back to the usually sandwich and crisp or mini pizza for James which as much as he loves must get a bit boring!
    I also want to try and look at some new hot lunch ideas for him as he goes to nursery in the afternoons so it would be nice for him to head off for the afternoon with a nice warm meal in his tummy.
     
    I have a soup book so I think I am to try making some chunky style soups which me and James could both enjoy with some crusty rolls/bread.
     
    So this is where I need your help!
     
    Please comment below with your lunch ideas it doesn't matter if they are hot or cold just something a bit different that mummy and kids can enjoy. I am going to pick some of the ideas and try them next week and post about our new lunches!
     
    I look forward to hearing your lunch ideas.
     
    xXx

    Sunday 13 October 2013

    Dino Bite game **REVIEW**

    Hello Everyone,
    We were recently very lucky to receive a Dino Bite game from Drumond Park to review.
    James was really excited and loved the fierce dinosaur shown on the front. He was really eager to play the game. The game was really simple to set up and just required the dinosaur and the base to be clicked together and 2 AA batteries (not included) popped into the bottom.  
    Here are the pieces as are in the box.
    Dino bite is an exciting game from Drumond Park for 2-4 players aged 4+. The game sees players taking on the wrath of the King of the Dinosaurs as they carefully try to pluck out the Dino Babies from right under his ferocious, gaping jaws.  But they must beware … with one wrong move, the Dino will roar out loud and lunge forward, revealing his massive blade-like teeth - to scare them away from his prize!
    Each player takes it in turns to roll the dice which will decide which colour dinosaur egg you will need to rescue. Once you know which colour egg you must rescue you take the tweezers provided (although the instructions do state that younger players may find this a little difficult and are able to use there fingers instead if preferred) and slowly (and carefully!!) lift the leaf and try to rescue the dino baby eggs. However be carful because one wrong move could see the dinosaur leaping forward and roaring to guard its precious eggs!
    We had great fun playing the game and the added jungle/ dinosaur noises the game makes whilst playing make the game really stand out from other games of this type.
    The game was easy to set up and easy to play even James who is 4 picked up the way the game worked straight away.
    Here is a short video of the dinosaur lunging forward...
    He was a little shaken when the dinosaur launched forward for the first time however he soon got used to this and found it funny whenever it happened afterwards.
    The game retails at £19.99 and can be found in most toys shops. I would really recommend this game if you are looking for a fun game the whole family can play that's a little bit different.

    You can find out more about this game and many more games that Drumond Park offer by visiting their website just click Here.

    xXx


    * I was not paid for this review. All opinions given are my own.. As a thank you for my review, I was allowed to keep the product.
    * If you would like me to review your product or service, please email me on xJessLegresleyx@hotmail.com.

    Friday 11 October 2013

    Birthday!!!

    Hello all,
     
    Today was my little boys 4th birthday!!
    I really cannot believe he is 4 today. He is so grown up and intelligent I just don't know where the last 4 years have gone and when he grew up so much!
     
    He told me he had a lovely day which makes all the stress worthwhile lol! He came down this morning and opened all his presents before heading off to nursery. We took a cake into nursery and everyone sang happy birthday to him and they even gave him a little party hat and played a few games. After nursery we headed to nanny and grampys to open more presents! Then we went out for a lovely meal where James ate all his dinner and pudding (and some of dads pudding lol!!) and now and he has finally headed of to bed with his helium balloon in tow.
     
    He has had so many presents and cards he really is such a lucky boy!
    He has his birthday party tomorrow at our local soft play with all of his friends and nursery friends!
     
    I have taken lots of photos so will share some with you all tomorrow :)
     
    Hope you are all well and have a lovely weekend!
     
    xXx
     
     

    Sunday 6 October 2013

    Sorry Ive been quiet

    Hello everyone,
     
    Sorry I have been a little quiet I have had a busy week/weekend and have only just had the chance to catch up on here!
     
    Well on Friday I went to the first school opening day. I was so sad inside thinking in September my little boy was going to be heading to school! It felt like such a big daunting task choosing a school for him but attending open days really does help.
    The school was lovely a few little niggling issues however I am not sure whether I am maybe looking for issues just because I don't want my baby heading to any school lol!!
     
    Then Saturday James went to the toy shop with nanny and grampy. He goes every other Saturday and nanny and grampy come and pick him up from our house and take him to the local shopping centre where he picks out a few new toys then goes back to there house for a little while to visit the cats and dogs! He loves going and always waits at the window for them to pull up on a Saturday lol!
    He especially loves helping grampy clean the motorbike when he goes back to there house. Grampy lets him sit on the bike and polish the top!
     
    Here he is sitting on the motorbike with Nanny and Grampy! Bit to young to ride yet though James although James would be riding along with grampy now if he could lol!!
     
     
     
    Sunday we had a party to attend so in the morning we had a quick trip to the tip to get rid of some rubbish in our garden. Then James helped clean out Greg the guinea pig and then we got ready to go to the party.
    The party was at our local soft play and James had lots of fun running round with all the other kids and then tucking into his party bag afterwards!
     
     
    So we had a very busy weekend!!
     
    What have you been up to this weekend?
     
    xXx

    Monday 30 September 2013

    GU Cheesecakes *REVIEW*

    Hello Everyone,
    Well last week I was really lucky to be asked to review some GU Puddings! I had 4 to review but I have the 2 different cheesecakes here for you to read about first.
    The first cheesecake I got to try was this After dark chocolate and Vanilla cheesecake and I can confirm it was delicious!

    These cheesecake retail at around £3.59 so a little pricey but they really are delicious. The base is a crumbly chocolate biscuit base, a Madagascan vanilla cream cheese in the middle and then the GU signature chocolate ganache on top!

    The pots are quite tiny (90g each) and at first glance you think your going to be wanting 2 or 3 however you will soon discover this is not the case! They are so chocolaty I think you really would struggle to eat more than 1.
    As I said above at £3.59 for 2 these are a little pricey but they would be great if you fancied something a little special maybe for a date night with your other half or if you were having friends round for food.

    Next up we tried the After dark GU York cheesecakes. These were also delicious and personally my favourite!
    These cheesecakes consist of a indulgent baked New York cheesecake with a lightly spiced caramelised biscuit base.


    The base really stood out with these ones and it really gave a lovely flavour against the smooth creamy cheesecake topping. Again these retail at around £3.59 for 2 and are 80g but they really are worth splashing out on if your looking for something a little bit special!


    The puddings all come in glass ramekins and these can be washed and kept after and make great little bots to keep sauces and condiments in or if you like baking these could be used again to bake another yummy treat!

    You can buy these puddings and many more flavours from GU from most supermarkets.

    Overall the cheesecake's really are delicious and give such a rich, indulgent flavour! They are quite pricey so maybe something that you would buy for a special occasion or if your after something a little bit more special. James who is 4 did have a little try of both of these but wasn't very keen. I think its because the flavour is so rich its maybe a little much for a child. GU have lots of other flavours in there range so why not check them out at

    xXx 

    

    Friday 27 September 2013

    School already!?!

    Hello everyone,
     
    James will be 4 next month and I really cant believe it! He still seems like my tiny little baby sometimes.
    James attends nursery several times and a week and I think I am only just getting used to not having him home all the time. Then it hits me, I start seeing all these advertisements for school open days and it dawns on me that these open days are for James! My tiny little baby next year will be heading off into the big wide world of school!!
     
    I have to admit I am petrified of James going to school he seems so little and still my baby although I have to admit id probably think he was still my baby at 13 lol. I feel so much pressure making sure I pick the right school for him and then there's the stress of waiting for the form back to see if they even get there first choice of school.
     
    As a first time mum these are all firsts for me and its so daunting I often wonder if I am doing it right or if  I am making the right choices for James future. 
     
    How did you find it sending your little ones of for school for the first time?
     
    xXx

    Wednesday 25 September 2013

    Getting with the times!

    Hiya everyone
     
    Well ive done it ive finally got up to date with new aspects of social media for this blog!
    I can now be found on here of course! facebook and twitter!
     
    My facebook page can be found at ... Owl Crazy Mummy Facebook page.
     
    My twitter can be found at .. Owl Crazy Mummy twitter page.
     
    Please pop by and say hello. Both of these pages will contain links to my blog posts so you can find and re read posts you liked.
     
    xXx
    

    Monday 23 September 2013

    Weekend with Cuddles the dog!!

    Hello Everyone
     
    Sorry I have been very quite over the weekend I have been really poorly with a cold and cough so have been trying to rest up.
     
    How was your weekend?
     
    This weekend James brought home the nursery teddy! His name is Cuddles and each child at nursery has the opportunity to bring him home and look after him for the weekend. He comes with a little suitcase with a toothbrush, fork and spoon and a comb in along with a diary which you fill out at the end of the weekend with what adventures you had with Cuddles.
     
     
    This weekend James had 2 parties to go to so cuddles came along to those as well as helped put petrol in the car, sat at the table and had breakfast with James, snoozed in the car, Travelled up the escalator in the trolley and helped make a pirate treasure map!
     
    James had great fun looking after Cuddles and I think its a great idea from the nursery! It had James wanting to get himself and cuddles dressed for bed, clean his own teeth and brush his own hair!
    Cuddles has come everywhere with us this weekend and I think James will be sad to see him go but we will have great fun filling out his diary with a few photos we have taken over the weekend.
     
     
     
    Hope you all had a fab weekend!
     
    xXx

    Thursday 19 September 2013

    DC Super Friends Magazine *REVIEW*

    We were recently lucky enough to receive a copy of a brand new magazine that is being released this month!! Its called DC super friends.
    The magazine goes on sale today (19th September)
    This is what Titan magazines had to say about their new magazine DC Super Friends ... "DC Super Friends offers exciting stories about the super friends Batman, Superman, The Flash and Green Lantern along with many others. Dc Super Friends is packed with lots of creative learning quizzes and activities, colouring games, cut out and keep, make and wear activities, character fact files, a fan mail section for all those lovely pictures we receive and brilliant prizes to be won through our competitions."
    When we first received the magazine we thought the bright colours were really eye catching and would my James immediately wanted to look at it and didn't want to put it down. The toys also caught his eye and he was eager to get it out and have a play with it which is always a good sign! As I am sure with lots of kids the first thing they look at when picking a magazine is the toy lol!
     The magazine is aimed at preschool boys aged 2-5 and James is 4 so really aimed at his sort of age. Although I did think that 2 may be a little young for the magazine as it has paper pages which are easily torn and a lot of the activities were aimed at children a little older so I would say the magazine would suit ages more 3-6.
    Dc Super friends contains lots of different activities which James enjoyed doing as they were quite short and they didn't require to much attention perfect for a child! Although he did find a few of the activities a little difficult and needed a bit of help from me and his dad.
    However this didn't put him off, he especially loved the colouring in pages and the pages in which you could make items. Although the items that you could cut out and make did require extra items which luckily we had in but would be a little disappointing if we didn't have them to hand however most of the activities in the book just require pens/pencils.
    Here are a few of the activities included in DC Super Friends..
    Here are the toys that came with it, Each addition has a different toy and this first magazine included to plastic communicator toys with changeable pictures. James had great fun playing with these and it was great that it came with 2 so he could play with his friends with them.
    The magazine is priced at £2.99 which I think is the going rate for magazines at the moment. Although this magazines does seem a little bit shorter (fewer pages) than some of the magazines priced at the same rate James still seemed to enjoy it. He did however miss the stickers that you sometimes find in the centre of magazines as this magazine does not have any stickers so maybe something that could be added in the future?

    The next edition is out on 17th October and contains a free pull and go helicopter and lots more fun activities.

    Friday 13 September 2013

    Where did that time go?

    So my post today is a little bit different as I thought I would write about my feelings as a mummy.

     
    When I had my little boy I was just 19 and I was so scared. I didn't know what I was suppose to do as a mummy or if I would be able to do it!
    However we were blessed with our little boy James on 11th October 2009 and he was perfect! However things weren't as rosy as in the magazines life changed and I found myself suffering from Post natal depression. It was hard I didn't know at the time I had PND and I felt like a bit of a failure. All the magazines show these pictures of these mothers who have popped back into shape a week after giving birth and they look happy, healthy and glowing out walking with there babies.
    The reality however is slightly different! Don't get me wrong I loved James to pieces but suddenly I had a little person to look after and sleepless nights with constant feeds and nappy changes thrown into that. It was like my life had changed over night and I had no idea how to cope.
     
    (James 1 day old!)
     
    However we got through as a family and things got easier as we established a routine and when I realised it was ok to ask for help! James grew up full of smiles and laughter and I realised I must be doing something right.
     
    Sometimes its easy to blame your self or think you have failed as a Mum like those days when you spend the day in your pyjamas or the days when the kids will only eat turkey dinosaurs and waffles for tea or the times when you send them to nanny and grampys house for a few hours because you need a few hours to yourself. But that's ok!!
     
    When he comes up to me at night and wants cuddles and kisses me goodnight and says "love you mummy" I realise that's not failing at all! James is happy, healthy and tells me daily he loves me. He is care free and enjoying life just as he should be. Yes some days I don't get out of my pyjamas or even brush my hair until after lunch but James doesn't care. He loves me because I am his mum because I offer him all the love I have.
    When he runs around the park, or happily counts to 10 or even 15, when he comes out with words that are so impressive I don't think even hubby knows how to spell lol!! I think to myself that was me I was part of the process that nurtured this tiny baby into this intelligent beautiful boy!
     
    James is now nearly 4 and he is such an intelligent little boy who is always happy. I am always getting compliments from passers by on how happy or polite he is and inside I think yep that was me! I taught him that!
     
    (Here he is now with our pet guinea pig!)
     
    Having a baby changes your life and yes its hard, yes it changes life for ever and YES its ok to struggle and admit it! we all got through it at some point and its OK!
    So tonight give your little ones an extra tight cuddle and look at them look at what you have achieved look at your family and feel proud of yourselves you made that precious bundle!!  
    

    Saturday 7 September 2013

    Today we made Pizza!!!

    Im not sure about you but I am forever lost for ideas for tea time that the whole family can enjoy! There's only me hubby and my little boy who is 4 but I find us having the same meals over and over and it gets really boring.
    On a weekend we are a nightmare for getting takeaway and now I've joined the gym this is something I am trying to avoid!
    This week I decided to sit down and think of new meal ideas and with a little help from a few other mums I came up with lots of new meals for us to try this week. I am going to share with you a few of our meals this week so it may give you some new ideas. All of the meals are brought and made on a budget of around £50 per week for 3 of us  and that includes toiletries!
    So today we made Pizza!!!
    Here is James making his...
    It was pretty simple to do and something everyone could get involved in. You can choose what ever toppings you like we had...  hot dog sausages, salami, mushrooms, onions, tuna, ham and mozzarella/ cheddar cheese.

    I used a pizza express pizza sauce which comes in a tin and is only 99p and really gives that authentic pizza taste but you could easily you passata/ tomato puree.
    The bases you can buy in most major supermarkets! I've definitely seen them in Tesco and Morrison's and there really cheap around 70p-£1 for 2 good sized bases!!

    It was also a great replacement for the usual takeaway we would usually get and ALOT cheaper!!
    Here is James finished pizza (He chose onions, mushrooms, hot dogs and cheese for his toppings)

    We had great fun making them and it cost around £5 to make 3 pizzas with lots of different toppings and we served ours with a salad. Not bad to feed a family of 3 and it definitely got a big thumbs up from James who loved the idea of helping make his own tea!


    xXx

    More meal ideas will be coming up in the week!! x

    Monday 2 September 2013

    Ribena Plus *REVIEW*

    I recently had the pleasure of reviewing the new range from Ribena called Ribena Plus. I was sent 6 cartons of the new Ribena plus 2 of each of the following flavours Raspberry and Apple, Summer Fruits and Apple and Peach.


    The new Ribena Plus range includes Ribena Plus with vitamin A and vitamin C to help support immunity, and Ribena Plus with calcium for healthy bones. This is a definite bonus for me as a mother I am always a little conscious about what I give my little boy to eat and drink so to be able to give him a drink he enjoys and know it contains extra vitamins and calcium is a definite bonus.
    We tried the 200ml premixed cartons although the range is also available in 500ml premixed bottles and a larger concentrate bottle.
    The cartons retail at around £2.70 for 10x 200ml and the 500ml bottles retail around £1.10
    First impressions were the cartons were bright and colourful and the cartons were the perfect size for little hands to be able to hold onto themselves confidently without having to worry about them squeezing to hard trying to keep hold of the carton.
    James immediately wanted to try some and he chose the Raspberry and Apple flavour which he declared as "Very Yummy"! I also tried this flavour and it really was delicious! The flavours really tasted like apple and raspberry and although sweet they were not to sweet and certainly not as sweet as other drinks I have tried.
    We all tried the summer fruits flavour but didn't think much of it. The flavours were not really there and it tasted a little bland and there was no distinguishing flavours that popped out unlike the apple and raspberry flavour.
    My son tried the apple and peach flavour and loved it. This flavour tasted more of peach than apple but had a lovely subtle flavour that was really refreshing especially straight from the fridge in the recent warm weather we have had. This flavour also wasn't as sweet as the Apple and Raspberry flavour so a bonus for those who maybe prefer a drink that isn't as sweet.  
    Here is my little boy enjoying the apple and peach flavour.
    The only downside I found (which really is down to personal preference) was that I personally prefer the sports cap style bottle for drinks. This is because it means when my little boy opens a drink and only drinks half I can just close the lid and save for later. However with cartons once they have been opened they need to be assumed there and then which is a little tricky especially if out and about walking around. However this really is just a personal preference and has no effect on the taste of the actual product!
    Overall we all enjoyed the Ribena plus and would definitely consider the cartons for the future.
    For more information about the product please visit the Ribena webpage here...  www.ribena.co.uk/

    Sunday 1 September 2013

    Sun-Maid Raisins *REVIEW*

    **AD - Review**

    Like most parents I am used to hearing the words "I'm hungry" and so I always try and have a few healthy and delicious snack ideas on hand or in my bag for exactly those moments. It saves me having to spend lots of money on things when we are out and about and stops the kids snacking on less healthy alternatives and one thing I recently found that both kids love are raisins. So when we were recently offered the chance to try out a few different products from the Sun-Maid range I knew the kids would be up to the task. 

    Wednesday 21 August 2013

    Sherbet Pip Hamper **REVIEW**

    In my spare time I love to enter a competition or two, its super exciting to think you could possibly win and its something I can do easily on an evening with a baby on my laptop or when feeding too. A little while ago I was actually lucky enough to find out I had actually won a sherbet pip sweet hamper in a competition run with Florette. The prize was a amazing 1970's sweet hamper from Sherbet Pip filled with lots of delicious sweets complete with some real classics too, I couldn't wait to try it and so I thought I would share the contents with you. 


    Upon taking it out the box I was already impressed with the way the sweets were sent and presented, inside a large beautiful wicker picnic style hamper complete with leather straps and buckels. The basket felt super sturdy and we will definitely be keeping it to use again, perhaps for a picnic! Inside the sweets were individual packs in clear packs and then concealed within the hamper with green tissue paper and a "1970" stamped label finished off the hamper.